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The Hopeful and the Humble
---- A soft breeze rustled through the trees, sweeping Nodoka's hair up as she walked back from the coast. The road was basic and undeveloped but flat, a steep embankment on the left rising into a thick vaguely tropical woods. There was an odd sense of solemnity, lingering in her bones, dull as a physical ache. She hadn't returned to Mistral for cheerful reasons after all. Two pairs of eyes watched the lone woman as she walked, unperturbed yet saddened. However, neither of them saw a reason to care about her emotions. No, they had other goals in mind. The redhead remained on a lower branch as she scouted out the individual further. That she was older and alone meant this should be easy. She gave a thumbs up to the one hiding deeper in the woods. "Take what would won't be missed," the girl murmured to herself as she nimbly descended from the tree. The girl took the time to match her descent with the woman's arrival to their section of the woods and road. Her mind remained occupied with what was needed: a few more good hauls and they might have enough to leave this hell-hole of a nation. Hopefully, this person didn't put up too much resistance. She landed, assuming a fighting stance immediately. There was a sharp shift of leaves, the crack of a branch and then a shock of red hair descending from above as Nodoka's assailant arrived. Nodoka's brow creased at the sight. She recognized a potential threat immediately. "Hello, girl," Nodoka greeted simply. "Yo. I assume you'll be a dear and hand over your valuables? Would save both of us a lot of time and you agony," Isolde responded, "Be a shame if things became...nasty." She changed up her fighting stance, adopting a loose crawling tiger stance as Iso began moving. "Well?" "I have no money if that is what you want. I also don't wish for a fight." Nodoka noticed her advance and mentally prepared herself for the possibility of violence. She could sense the presence of another, with a volatile and fierce amount of magic power. The redhead wasn't working alone. "No money? As if I'll believe that. You're not the first person to use that lie. You won't be the last," she snapped. With that, Isolde launched herself forward, using her starting position to build strength in her legs as she leveled a kick at Nodoka's midsection, aiming to take the wind out of the woman's sails. Nodoka blinked. And Isolde's trajectory twisted, veering to the right side of Nodoka. Nodoka turned to face her when she landed. "Please, I'm not looking for a fight." Isolde landed on the ground nimbly. She was surprised that her kick had missed. Hadn't she timed it just so? The woman had never moved either. Iso shook off her concerns, going into a handstand as she wielded her legs like helicopter blades. "And I'd like to be in a nice place where persecution wasn't a thing," the girl countered hotly. Guinevere blinked from her hiding place. The twin was just has confused when she watched Isolde's leg veer off course. But she remained silent for the time being; Iso wasn't the type who liked interference. Nodoka stepped backward as Isolde's gravity shifted, her body pushed by an invisible force. She slipped, nearly falling on her behind in the process. Iso barely righted herself, feeling her legs sing in pain from the awkward landing. "Yo, what's your deal?" she snapped, her temper flaring. This lady had to be doing something; there's no way Iso should have lost her balance after practicing that maneuver thousands of times. "I'm trying not to hurt you." Nodoka responded, "Like I said, I don't want to fight you." Her heart ached for the young girl. Mistral was a harsh society, dominated by physical might. It did not surprise her to see a child wish such forced into such actions to survive. "Well too bad, cause that's the one thing I'm good at," Iso retorted, her fists clenching. This time she went full-tilt, unleashing a salvo of punches. She didn't understand this woman's obsession with not fighting. But isn't that want you want for Guinevere? Peace and quiet? a small voice whispered in the back of her head. "Shut up," she growled. Guinevere watched from the forest with increasing worry. Why did Isolde keep falling? She was one of the most balanced fighters Guin knew. Nodoka extended a hand and magic gave way. A sudden chill of energy and Isolde's fists made contact with an invisible barrier of psychic energy. Nodoka's face seemed slightly distorted on the other side, voice somewhat muffled, "Please, sweet girl, stop before you hurt yourself." Iso's temper took over. "Who are you to tell me when to stop?" she snapped again, her fist colliding with the shield like thunderclaps. Hurting hands meant nothing to her after being kicked out of her home, driven out of her town, and hunted like dogs alongside her twin. Fury drove any pain in her body away. Guinevere gasped. She felt something crackling in that direction but she couldn't quite place what it was. All she knew was that something was blocking her sibling's angry fists. The distortion fell away as Nodoka's barrier disappeared, approaching the fight with a new tactic. With a smooth forward motion of her hand, a rush of wind whipped down the road, parting around Nodoka's body before reforming to drive Isolde backward. "What the fuck?" The wind caught her off guard, causing Iso to fall back like a tumbleweed before righting herself in horse stance. She continued to be forced backward, her frustration growing until she finally reached some level of stability further down the beaten path. "That's it. I'm tired of your shit lady." Iso ignored the pain as she gathered what stamina she had left. A little wind meant nothing to as she roared up the path with before forming a tendangan, using her momentum to generate further power behind the all-out offensive. Wind? Guin wondered from her vantage point. That it sprung suddenly caused her to inch forward, her concern growing. Come on Iso, use your head. Nodoka outstretched a hand and Isolde's foot slammed into her palm. The impact was audible, like a popping gunshot. Nodoka's face was calm, lines of worry sewed across her forehead. Isolde ignored the pain that rocketed up her leg, even as she dropped downward like a stone. After all the forced misdirections and erected barriers, Iso hadn't expected a direct block; her expression was understandably shocked. Standing slowly with a noticeable limp, she would find a figure in front of her. Guinevere was already in motion as the gunshot sounded, seeing the outstretched hand. She could feel her twin's internal swearing as the joints of her forward leg locked. Now, Guin stood between them, hands outspread as a human shield. "Stop Iso," she said, still piecing together what had been witnessed for the duration of this fight. "Who are you?" Nodoka wasn't entirely phased by the appearance of the other girl. Although their hair colors were different, they had the same facial structure. Sisters then. "My name is Nodoka, I am one of the Ten Wizard Saints." "Yeah right, and I'm drowning in money. Please, there's no way you could be a Wizard Saint, none of those high-horsed bums would even think about coming to the backcountry, never mind here," Iso retorted, wobbling. Guinevere remained silent. While there was definitely something unique about this woman and what she was using, Guin shared her sister's doubts. It just didn't make sense for a Wizard Saint to be here. "I came to visit a grave. I was born here." Nodoka replied candidly, "It's alright if you don't believe me, I mean you no harm." "Prove it. The Wizard Saint and native crap. You look as native as a bull in a china shop," Iso spat, unconvinced. Guinevere nodded. "Not to be rude, but it doesn't make sense. If you are from here....where have you been? There's no way you could be a Wizard Saint, they don't come through these parts ever. Not with the kind of people who live here anyway...." Nodoka's head tilted in a delicate manner, "I grew up here. I moved away to pursue magic. If you truly don't believe me, is this enough?" She reached into an inner pocket of her gown, pulling out a small pin emblazoned with a cross and clover. Nodoka held out her hand, the pin resting within it. "You grew up here? That's cute....you sound as foreign as they come. Besides, if you really are a wit-" Isolde started before seeing her twin flinch, "a magic user, you would have never been here." Both girls' eyes widened when they saw the pin. Perfectly symmetrical and polished to a gleam, it captured Isolde's attention. "You fucking lied like I thought you did. You said you didn't have any money or valuables. If this is the real thing..." Iso snaked around her sibling, making a dive for the pin in Nodoka's outstretched palm. Guinevere was transfixed as the revealing took place, staring at the emblem as if it were an impossible math problem. How could it be that a Wizard Saint was here? A god-tier individual in a land that hated magic; it just didn't make sense to her after all she had seen. Too late, she saw her sister's intentions. "Iso DON'T," Guin cried out. Nodoka's palm closed and energy surged outward. Her magical aura extended through the area, the air congealing as an unsettling prickling sensation overtook the area. Nodoka's frame seemed distorted now, but through the haze, her facial expression had shifted. What was once serene was now sharp. "This pin, if you really want it, is made of tin. It has no value." Nodoka said carefully, her tone slow and deliberate. "I refuse to fight you again, so, if you wish to strike me, it will not be pleasant." Isolde barely stopped, her hand grazing the congealed air as she flopped backward on her behind. Fury and fear waged war in Iso's heart and mind as the Wizard Saint made her presence known. Sweat dripped down the back of her neck and face as she scrambled to her feet. "Shit." Her twin, meanwhile, was rooted in place. Guin finally understood the inkling that had bothered her all this time. "Magic...." It wasn't like she had never heard the term before, but it always had negative connotations. Witchcraft, sorcery, hexes; all that was bad. Never meeting another magic user until this day; it was common for those in her region to put anyone with inklings of magic to death. Surviving meant hiding your magic signature or leaving altogether before a mob came calling. Yet here was someone with not just magic, but vast stores that made her own look like a drop in the ocean. "You're a witch..." she questioned, her tone filled with wonder. Nodoka blinked, a brief recoil at the denotation of witch. It had taken her quite some time to come to realize it was not a slur, but an adjective of her nature. Coming from another Mistralian though, it still stung. "If that's what you want to call me, then yes," Nodoka replied. Her power receeded, the effect dissipating as quickly as it came. "I am a witch in Mistral and a Saint to the rest of Ishgar." With the receding effect, Isolde's legs began wobbling once more. Whether it was from the earlier collision or the little power show she didn't know; only that her legs were sliding out from under her. As the magic receded, Guin remembered to breathe. Turning to see what Iso thought of the matter, she would find her twin tumble. Instinctively, Guinevere looped an arm around Iso, steadying her. Only then did she remember what she said a few seconds earlier. "I'm sorry....it's just...I've never met another one before..they don't like our kind back home," she started hesitantly. Her uneven tone filled in the blanks about what happened to the others that had existed; namely, what she had seen with her own eyes. "Sweet girl," Nodoka's smile was soft-melancholy, "There is no need to apologize. I know first hand the prejudice of this land." Iso continued staring at the woman. No, Wizard Saint. "How the hell did you get out of here then? Not to be rude, but you're a damn beacon. It's like you're carrying a giant sign that says 'Magic User Here; feel free to attack.' Seriously though," she commented. Guinevere seconded her sibling's question. "How did you escape this place? And why would you ever return? There's nothing for us here," she added, providing a shoulder for Iso to lean on. "Would you like to take a seat?" Nodoka asked. Without a reply from the girls, Nodoka's stance changed and she raised a fist upward. Three rounded platforms of rock shot from the earth to a chair-like level. Nodoka sat on the most isolated one, looking at them thoughtfully. "I have free reign over Mistral, anyone that attacks me can be held to the standard of the laws passed by former councilwoman Nodoka Kosui seven years ago." Despite the laws she has passed and the evolution of modern society, Mistral was a large country. And here? On the coast, tucked away from the rest of the country by a ridge of mountains, prejudice still bloomed. "I was born here and I returned to visit the grave of my mother, and leaving the Mistral you know is as simple as crossing those mountains. There are better things on the other side." Iso stared at the sudden appearance of the seats. This woman made it seem as easy as breathing. But her pride refused to admit that the Wizard Saint was out of her league. Pride wouldn't win a battle for her, however. She continued to stand. "I'm good, thanks though." Guin raised an eyebrow at her sibling's refusal. It didn't take a genius to know Isolde was hurting. "Sit down Iso, it's not worth it. Being macho won't get you anywhere right now." The redhead waved away her sibling's concerns even as she favored the leg in question. "Please, I've dealt with worse." She returned her attention to Nodoka. "Not to be rude and all, but living here has kind of left a bad taste in our mouths. We've been looking to pack up a long time ago. A couple good more steals and we're leaving this shit-hole country behind," Iso responded, her temper rising. The teenager didn't care if she was making gross generalizations, she had genuinely come to despise this land after seeing what happened to her twin and others. "This place isn't for us. I appreciate whatever progress has been made on the other side, but this...land holds too many bad memories for me. The idea of staying here, even if it's on the other side...doesn't sit well with me," Guin added, remembering the nightmares and the screams. Her magic signature rocked wildly as these memories flew to the surface unbidden, beginning to destabilize as she shut her eyes. "Guin. GUIN!!" Iso rocked her twin's frame as the girl's eyes closed. A magic burst tore itself from Guin's frame before rocketing into the surroundings with vindictive glee. Nodoka rose from her seat, in a surprising show of speed for an old woman. The area around them distorted, a bubble of telekinetic energy forming as violet energy surged against it, shattering into fragments, disappearing into the atmosphere while the translucent barrier held. She glanced from the barrier to the sisters, looking at Guin's closed eyes. "Is she unconscious?" Guin's form slumped forward, as Isolde went from being supported to supporting. She grunted lightly while waiting for Guin's breathing to steady. After several tense minutes, it did. "Yeah, she's out for the count," Iso responded, grunting again as she shifted her weight, bringing Guinevere into a bridal style hold. The redhead's frustration boiled over. "I can't believe I had my ass handed to me. You didn't even fucking try. Like, you could've sat on the toilet while reading a newspaper and I still wouldn't have connected," Iso added, her pride taking a major blow. For one who felled adult men as if she were cutting trees, it irritated her to be defeated with such little effort. "You're an admirable fighter," Nodoka praised, storing her concern over Huin to the side for a moment. "You remind me of someone I know. Same reckless ferocity and ember in your eyes." "You're only saying that because you're a nice person," Iso commented, carefully depositing her sister in one of the chairs, before righting her diligently when Guin began to slouch. She paused, monitoring the unconscious girl's breathing. "Another spitfire? Doubt it, you don't seem the type to hang out with that crowd," Isolde said over her shoulder. "Actually, I'm a guild master." Nodoka corrected. Her concern still lay within, laced around her organs like twisting roots. It was particularly set off by her sister's nonchalance. "Does your sister often experience build ups of her magic power like this?" "Yeah, she does...we've been through a lot of shit.." Iso started while fussing over her sibling's frame, "Whenever something brings up bad memories, her emotions get bent out of shape and her magic with it..she's better than she used to be." "I don't know how to bring her out of it though. She has a ton of magic power compared to me, but when she shuts down mentally, it builds and explodes," Iso added, frustration coloring her tone. "She lacks control," Nodoka stated rhetorically. "Thank you Captain Obvious," Iso retorted, "now, how am I supposed to fix that? She's not a martial artist like I am."